A number of concerns have been expressed about English teachers investing time learning ICT skills.

Why don't have the time to teach ITC Basic Skills!

This is likley the case. So we need to be creative. This is what integrating ICT across the curriculum is all about. Using Mindtools to solve problems.

Net-ICT for Engish teachers address the time to teach issue.

Net-ICT includes an ICT Skills Module sourced from ITCommunications. It is called UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS ...........FOR FIRST TIMERS.

The ICT Skills Module allows teachers to set ICT Skills Homework for their students. You don't have time to teach ICT Basic Skills in class time. That time is needed to develop English Literacy, not core ICT Literacy. The kids will need to lean core ITC Literacies by themselves. All you need to do is plan what and when they need to learn, then set homework for the class with a few keystrokes.

Have a look at the Teacher Presentation to find out more about Understanding Computers....For First Time Teachers.

Why do we have to Integrate ITC within the Curriculum?

Because it's the law!!

Won't the kids know more than us about ITC?

Quite likely. But so what? You know a lot more than them about English, life in the classroom and life in general.

PLUS!!!!

Net-ICT is being set up so that you will have real-time access to people who can assist you if you need help.

It will be too hard and take too much time.

BS.

Net-ICT is grounded in a student-centred constructivist learning approach. The Faculty Coordinator and year teachers collaboratively develop sequenced learning materials which they can publish to the web in twenty seconds. Come assignment time, using a modified Gagne Conditions of Learning, the teacher needs to spend one or two lessons in 'teacher talk'. The rest of the time is spent guiding and coaching the students in English literacy as they complete their assigned activities.

Constructivist pedagogy also encourages the use of student self-evaluation and peer evaluations. So the teacher assessment and marking time can be kept to a minimum. Learning activities typically follow a simple pattern of design, build, evaluate. Students submit what they have completed at each stage. There is usually no such thing as a studnet who fails to submit. So time adminstrative time is reduced by not needing to follow studnets up with detentions and the like.

Why learn ITC skills if we can't get access to computers?

This is currently a valid concern. But there are solutions. By embracing Net-ICT you will gain leverage within the school and be given priority in access to computing resources.